Back to the grind

It seems like the new routine has worn the kids out. After several meltdowns this weekend, we decided to lay pretty low today. We went to the fancy coffee lodge for lunch and actually got all kids to take a nap (at the same time!). The kids had a great time collecting all the fallen avocados around us. (I told Tierney and Ashlyn they could each bring 3 home if they promised to try them). Now that we are in the routine of school it feels like a regular Sunday night: packing backpacks, putting homework in bags, getting snacks ready, etc. (picture from dinner at our friends' Fini and Paul's house).

Tierney had her first birthday party on Saturday. We told her that she didn't need to go since she'd only been in school 3 days, but she really wanted to go. She was also okay with us dropping her off at the party and leaving. We were very impressed. It was a pool party with only girls, so I think that helped. The parents said she had a good time, but was quite shy. It turns out that this family also is renting a house from our landlords here...funny coincidence. The family is from Madagascar and they are in Arusha with the UN. Ashlyn wanted to know how they came out of the movie to live here ;)

Tonight I had my first Tanzanian frustration while cooking dinner. I was planning on making homemade chicken nuggets for the kids and baked parmesan chicken for the adults - not too hard when you have an oven that doesn't blow the fuse anytime it's been on longer than 5 minutes. At least I had boiled the chicken first (to try and tenderize it a little), so all I really needed to do was brown the outside. After blowing the fuse 5 or so times I finally gave up and had Matt cook them on the stovetop. It made for a much longer process (and a much crankier Lisa), but they were all eaten, so they must have been ok (or the kids were so hungry after waiting so long that it didn't matter).

I'm looking forward to a US holiday tomorrow, so that I can get some shopping done and just play with Anderson while the kids are at school. Ashlyn has her first birthday party after school tomorrow and Tierney is going to participate in ISM's Safi Circus that the school is putting on this Thursday (Safi means safe or clean in Swahili....not sure how a circus is safi?). She and Birch are a little late to the program, so I'm not exactly sure what her role will be, but she says she wants to be there for both the day and evening performances.

My next task will be to take some pictures of the local stores, sites, produce, and maybe even some of our temp housing (like this one in our dining area). I'm also trying to note the things that the kids are taking to...for example Ashlyn loves to use the bidet when she goes to the bathroom.

Matt takes off tomorrow morning until Friday night (to the capital of Dar Es Salaam and to Lusaka, Zambia) and David is also out of town most of this week (to Nairobi, Kenya). It will be a good test for Joey and me although it will be nice to not have to figure how they are getting home from work...this one car thing is hard when school and TNC are on the other side of town. I'm pretty sure this will be the week that I use the one box of mac and cheese that I have.

A little video of Anderson and his "dump truck"....I find it inappropriately hysterical how it sounds like (dumb f#*&)